The invention concerns an improved support assembly which sustains the rolling, rotating, ascending and descending control of cameras.
There are assemblies on the market to sustain rolling, rotating, ascending and descending remotely controllable supports for cameras, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,833.
These camera-supporting assemblies are usually in the form of an L or an inverted U-shaped arrangement for cameras of large volume and weight.
These types of assembly are joined to the mounting head, which is in oscillating and rolling form in order to allow the camera to change its lens position as necessary to take the desired views of an object.
The mounting heads holding the pivoting platform that supports the larger, heavier cameras require a support of great size and strength. However, since these mounting heads are constructed with non-extendable, permanent structures, whether of the L-shape or the U-shape, they need to be replaced by similar but larger ones in order to house larger and heavier cameras.
This constitutes a great expense and the mounting heads need much time and effort to be replaced. On the other hand, the mounting heads of the prior art, though they are indeed larger and stronger than those previously available and serve as a substitute for them, have the disadvantage that they are also constructed in standard dimensions which are not always in keeping with those of the larger and heavier cameras to be supported.
This gives rise to a series of problems for the user of these mounting heads.
On the other hand, the position, angle of movement and rotation about itself of the articulated platform of the mounting head holding the camera to be placed thereon are regulated in accord with the camera it holds in an articulated manner, in an equilibrated form to avoid sudden movements causing blurred views of the object captured by the lens of the camera.
One must also bear in mind that cameras attached in a pivoting manner to the articulated platforms of the mounting head are in equilibrium, and logically this equilibrium need not be present when the articulated support is replaced by a larger one, whether it be of the L-shape or the U-shape.
This does not occur with the new mounting head since the platform is already of medium size, serving equally for small, average or large cameras; moreover, the existing mounting head, whether L or inverted U-shaped, is advantageous in that all the points of articulated attachment as well as those of counterweight and disconnection of electric supply are held in the same position, and there is no need to change the mounting head, but rather an expansion of the one already installed.
The counterweight position must be as close as possible to that of the camera already installed and that the position must be altered in order to maintain the camera's maximum ability to effect the movements known as "panning" (panoramic) and "tilting" (vertical or swiveling), which correspond to the inclining or tilting motions of the camera located on the oscillating platform of the mounting head.
It is very important, in order to avoid picture distortions which impede normal observation of the image being captured, that the axis of rotation should be nearest the nodal point or the axis of the camera lenses so as to avoid the pictures captured by the camera from being thrown out of focus.
Good camera equilibrium on the articulated platform is most important in order to avoid sudden brusque motions from alternating with smooth ones in the movements of the camera support due to a non-equilibrium, in order to enable the smooth movements of pan and tilt and the simultaneous movement of the juncture of the two and passing as closely as possible by the nodal point of the optical axis of the camera in order that it can rotate about itself through 360.degree. when the optical axis passes through the nodal point of the camera.
It should be noted that when the mounting head's axis of rotation passes through an axis which is not across both points of orientation and position of the camera, then the scenes on which the camera is focusing appear disproportionate and blurred.
Those assemblies holding the articulated platforms whose center contains the camera's pivoting unit, the platforms on these assemblies have a large central orifice in which the lens of the camera is inserted. Therefore, in these cases the camera is located next to and is connected to one of the two surfaces of the platform and the edge of the orifice and on the opposite facade to the surface of its own platform.
It is clear that the equilibrium of the camera in these cases is not centered in a position of support at the center of the platform's surface, but in its central portion it lacks the formative material of the base, since in its place it has a large orifice.
As a result, this attachment is carried out with the weight of the camera suspended in air.
When a dead weight is suspended in air, it is necessary to bring additional force to bear to compensate for the non-equilibrium of the weight thrown off center. In this case it is the existence of a large central orifice in the center of the articulated platform which prevents the placement of the camera, with all its weight, over the center of the platform.
It is clear that with the existence of a large central orifice the placement mentioned above cannot be effected, nor can the base of the articulated platform be supported in that central portion.
This additional effort impedes the equilibrium of the central running lead of the platform in which the camera is connected in a pivoting way, since with the change in the platform's position with respect to the mounting head due to this movement from center, sudden accelerations arise in changes of position which change the smooth and continuous motion of the picture in the lens of the camera and cause the lack of constant clarity in the picture seen through the camera lens.